It’s no secret that the 2022 mid-year pacific test between the PNG LNG Kumuls and the Vodafone Fiji Batis would be David Mead’s last representative match in the Kumuls Jumper.
The lad from Tubusereia in the Central province of Papua New Guinea has been a reliable back in the Kumul ranks; at center-wing or fullback Mead has always cherished each moment he donned the yellow and red V stripe jersey.
What an achievement 15 caps for the country, many memories to share of each encounter as a kumul; in a recent correspondence with Inside PNG, Mead was grateful enough to share some of his thoughts on his career and the Kumuls moving forward.
“Nearly all games for the Kumuls have been highlights. My debut was a special one because it opened my eyes to new possibilities. The game against Fiji on the weekend to finish off my international career was beyond words. It is still sinking in,” Mead told Inside PNG.
While Mead has left the Kumuls at the age of 33 he is optimistic of the Kumuls future; the team showed they are relentless against any opponent, being underdogs against Fiji was a challenge at first but they persevered.
“The Kumuls have got a great squad leading into the world cup. There is a good mixture of experience and youth in the team now. I’m sure there will be a few new faces which I am excited to see put on the jersey,” Mead added.
Mead has ended his Kumuls journey and having a long career at the professional level of rugby league in the NRL and in Super League, Mead is slowly winding down on his rugby league career at this level, a decision he is likely to make very soon.
“At this stage it is looking very likely that I will finish up after this year. My desire to continue playing is very small. I will make a decision sooner rather than later,” Mead said.
Like past Kumuls, Mead is patriotic about Papua New Guinea and would be a great asset to the Kumuls program; he could join the ranks of Stanley Tepend, Paul Aiton, John Wilshire, David Westley and Tommy Butterfield who are currently part of the Kumuls Coaching and Administrative staff, he may be contemplating it but it is still yet to be confirmed.
“At this stage I haven’t had discussions with anyone yet concerning a position with the Kumuls. I will help out rugby league in PNG regardless of a role with or without the Kumuls,” Mead said.
While he is winding down on his NRL career he says the performance of his Kumuls teammates not in the NRL is right up there with expectations in first grade football.
“There are several players in the Kumuls side that played on the weekend who are more than capable of playing in the NRL every week. NRL clubs would greatly benefit from having them in their squads,” Mead said.
Comments are closed.